CORPORATE OVERVIEW
OUR STRATEGY
Bearing Lithium Corp. is a lithium-focused mineral exploration and development company. Its primary asset is an 17.35% interest in the
Maricunga Lithium Brine Project in Chile. The Maricunga Project represents one of the highest-grade lithium brine salars globally and
the only pre-production project in Chile. The 2019 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) demonstrates the project as one of the most efficient
producers globally with a long-life, high-margin production profile. Over US$58 million has been invested in the Maricunga Project
to date.
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MANAGEMENT & DIRECTORS
GIL PLAYFORD
CHAIRMAN, CEO AND DIRECTOR
Mr. Playford is a seasoned senior mining executive, having spearheaded the sale of LionOre Mining to Norislk Nickel (NILSY-US) in 2007 for C$6.8 billion in cash. Mr. Playford started his professional career with Union Carbide Corp. for 25 years and various senior executive positions including Managing Director in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Mr. Playford also was the Chairman and CEO of Union Carbide Canada and Chief Financial Officer of Union Carbide in New York. Mr. Playford became Chairman and CEO of UCAR Carbon, a joint venture with Mitsubishi and took the partnership public as GrafTech International. Mr. Playford then went on to found a nickel and gold mining company with assets in Africa and Australia, LionOre Mining International Ltd., and served as the CEO and subsequently as Chairman. Mr. Playford was instrumental in the sale of LionOre to Norilsk Nickel, a Russian mining conglomerate, in an all-cash offer of C$6.8 billion, having trumped a rival C$6.2 billion offer from Xstrata PLC. Mr. Playford holds an Engineering Degree from McGill University in Montreal and a Masters in Business Administration from York University in Toronto.
LUIS SAENZ
DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS
RYAN SMITH
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Ryan Smith brings more than 12 years of financial experience from the banking and telecommunications sectors. Most recently, Mr. Smith served as a senior account manager for First Calgary Financial, where he managed a commercial real estate portfolio in excess of $250 million. Mr. Smith also has experience serving as a business manager for KMM, a leading provider of integrated services to the U.S. communications industry, and as a senior financial analyst for Axia FibreNet, the operator of Alberta’s fibre-based SuperNet. Mr. Smith is a former NCAA collegiate athlete and graduated from Keiser University with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in finance with summa cum laude distinction.
RAY BATERINA
CORPORATE SECRETARY
Ray Baterina has over 20 years of experience in administrative and corporate services ranging from provincial government to publicly traded companies and private companies. Starting a career in Financial Services with the Ministry of Transportation of BC, Mr. Baterina was responsible for external agreements in accounts receivable, financial analysis and management of budgets. He was then instrumental in coordinating and establishing the head office of GBS Gold International Inc., a publicly traded junior mining and exploration company. As the Assistant Controller with Pacific Group of Companies (NorLand Limited), Mr. Baterina was able to take his experience managing treasury and financial resources into his current position as the managing partner and financial controller of P&N Vero LLP, a privately owned wealth management company.
PATRICK CUSSEN
DIRECTOR
Mr. Cussen is an industrial civil engineer with 45 years of mining industry experience. He has extensive experience in minerals and mining and specifically in marketing, sales, project exploration, project evaluation and economic assessments. Mr. Cussen was previously the Chairman of the Board of Li3 Energy Inc. (“Li3”). Mr. Cussen has served as the Chairman of The Center for Copper and Mining Studies for 15 years, Cesco, a Chilean think tank on mining. Mr. Cussen holds an engineering degree and a Masters of Economics from the University of Chile.
TIMOTHY W. HEENAN
DIRECTOR
Timothy Heenan has over 26 years of exploration experience throughout the Americas, and has worked exclusively in South and Central America
since 1990. Mr Heenan has a wide range of diversified exploration experience throughout a range of geographic and geologic environments
and is considered to be a highly skilled explorationist. Mr Heenan has extensive experience in design and implementation of generative
to advanced exploration activities, and has been directly involved in the discovery and advancement of several high profile projects
which are currently in production, and others entering into their feasibility stage.
Mr Heenan is a founder of Mirasol Resources Ltd, and a former director of Mirasol for over 12 years since its inception and listing
on the Canadian Ventures Exchange. Mr. Heenan has been based in Mendoza, Argentina with Mirasol as Exploration Manager since its inception
in 2003, and prior to that lived and worked for numerous mining and exploration companies in Chile for over a decade. Apart from Mr
Heenan´s direct hand´s on approach to exploration, he has also become very familiar with legal, corporate and administrative matters
in both Chile and Argentina, is fluent in Spanish, and has developed an extensive network of contacts through-out the mining industry
during his tenure in South America. Mr. Heenan is a Canadian citizen by birth, and maintains definitive legal residency status in both
Chile and Argentina.
ROBERT CAMERON
ADVISOR
Mr. Cameron is a graduate of Carleton University and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Mr. Cameron has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry. He was the Chief Executive Officer (and President until Aug 2010)of Valley High Ventures from Sept 2008 to March 2011, when it was sold for ~$120 million. He held the position of Vice President and Manager of Exploration for Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada Limited (a subsidiary of Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Inc.) between 2001 and 2008. Mr. Cameron's career includes all aspects of mining exploration throughout the world including North and South America, Asia and Europe. Mr. Cameron is a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has reviewed the disclosure this site.
DON HAINS
ADVISOR
Mr. Hains is an industrial minerals exploration and economic geologist with more than 30 years of experience in development, use and analysis of industrial minerals properties and materials. He has held product research and business development responsibilities with Fiberglas Canada Inc. and Domtar Construction Materials, and has been consulting in the field of industrial minerals markets and economics for the past 30 years. His experience encompasses most of the industrial minerals and several specialty metals, especially antimony, lithium, tantalum, niobium, gallium, germanium and rare earths. Assignments have ranged from valuation reports to feasibility and market studies. He is a registered professional geoscientist in Ontario and a Professional Member of the SME. Don is the author of the Best Practice Guidelines for Reporting of Lithium Brine Resources and Reserves and a co-author of the Best Practice Guidelines for Reporting on Industrial Minerals Resources and Reserves. These guideline documents provide recommended best practice when reporting resources and reserves under NI 43-101.